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Caves, arches, stacks and stumps are the landscape features of which one of the following?
Explanation
Caves, arches, stacks, and stumps are characteristic erosional landforms created by wave action along coastlines. The process begins when waves attack the base of a cliff, excavating holes in areas of geological weakness to form sea caves [2]. When two caves on opposite sides of a headland unite, they create a sea arch [2]. Over time, the roof of the arch collapses due to continued erosion and gravity, leaving an isolated pillar of rock known as a stack [5]. Further erosion of the stack's base causes it to collapse, leaving a small remnant known as a stump. These features are temporary stages in the retreat of a coastline and are primarily driven by hydraulic action and abrasion from sea waves [3].
Sources
- [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Coastal Landforms > 10.8 A wave-cut platform on the Hong Kong coast S.T. Fok > p. 90
- [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Coastal Landforms > 10.8 A wave-cut platform on the Hong Kong coast S.T. Fok > p. 91
- [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Landforms and their Evolution > Cliffs, Terraces, Caves and Stacks > p. 58
- [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_(geology)
- [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 17: Major Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Sea Caves > p. 217
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